Below Deck star, Fraser Olender has addressed criticism over his remarks about Jessica Albert on the Bravo yachting show.
Season 9 kicked off with Fraser and Jess teaming up to talk smack about chief stew Heather Chase. Suddenly the tide seems to have changed, with Fraser now bad-mouthing Jess to everyone on the crew.
On Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Jess responded to all the negativity coming from her colleagues. The stew got to share her side of the story, admitting she didn’t bond with anyone else on the show.
Now Fraser sheds light on the interior crew situation that Below Deck fans didn’t see on-screen.
Fraser Olender addresses criticism over Jessica Albert remarks on Below Deck
Like all Below Deck crew members, Fraser has endured some backlash since Season 9 hit the airwaves. When Fraser stopped by Dear Reality, You’re Effed!, he addressed the criticism with host, Below Deck Mediterranean alum Hannah Ferrier.
The topic of Jess came up, and Fraser admitted Jess repeatedly said she didn’t like her job.
“What was interesting is Jess and I were strong from the get-go, and Jess didn’t want to be there, Hannah. She would tell me and everyone constantly that yachting is not for her. She hates the job, doesn’t want to be here,” Fraser said.
The United Kingdom native also wasn’t aware of the family struggle Jess endured during filming.
“And she never disclosed to me that she was having family issues. I wish she had because had she done that, I would have felt some sympathy towards her,” he shared. “But all I heard was I don’t want to be here, I hate my job, and she was working at one mile per hour.”
“And I saw that initially as an immediate frustration because I am picking up her work too. As you know, with three onboard, there’s so much going on you never have a minute to just stop. And to know she wasn’t doing her part, just, I got very frustrated. And I was a bit b***hy about it, and at the time, I was upset. And I had every right to speak the way I did.”
Fraser reveals what Below Deck viewers didn’t see with Jess
As the interior drama with Fraser, Heather, and Jess unfolds on-screen, he dished that there was a positive aspect that Below Deck viewers didn’t see, at least not yet.
“Looking back now and seeing what the show has actually [shown], what has been more entertaining for the show to use is difficult because it just makes me look I am completely insensitive to her issues,” Fraser expressed.
“And that’s not the case. Every morning, I would pick her up, and we would stand together, and I would say, ‘Let’s do this. One more day to go. Let’s keep going. Positivity. Let’s smash it. Let’s just smile and wave all day, and they’re going to be gone tomorrow, and we can get drunk.’ Whatever. But I guess that wasn’t entertaining enough to use.”
Fraser Olender from Below Deck Season 9 has opened up about his working relationship with Jessica Albert.
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Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.